Godfrey Lebeya gave details on some of the crimes, including a 2021 shoot-out incident in the area of Orkney near Kanana in the Matlosana area, where over 80 miners were nabbed by the police. In his update, Lebeya says the 88th suspect and kingpin was nabbed with one more suspect, also deemed as a kingpin, expected to be added to the docket. 

This will then round up the number of those arrested to 89.

The illegal miners were nabbed by the Hawks at a mine shaft in Orkney in 2021 and 8 of them were wounded whilst 6 died following a shootout with the police. One police officer was also wounded.

The case involving these miners is expected to sit at the Stilfontein Regional Court for docket and consultations on 6 September. 

According to the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, the miners are charged with six counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, conspiracy to commit robbery, illegal mining, possession of automatic firearms, attempted murder, and contravening the Immigration Act.

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“On 21 October 2021, 87 suspects aged between 25 and 49 were arrested, 8 were wounded and 6 fatally wounded during a shootout with members of the Special Task Force (STF), assisted by the Hawks in North West in an intelligence-driven operation at Orkney.

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A Hawks-led multi-disciplinary team comprising of the Special Task Force, National Intervention Unit, District Crime Combatting Unit, North West Airwing, Explosives Unit, Bidvest Protea Coin Security and Local Criminal Record Centre descended on the identified shaft where they were met with the suspects' gunfire,” Lebeya says.

Lebeya adds that the team seized two minibuses, illegal mining paraphernalia, gold-bearing material, eleven illegal firearms, and bags of food. This led to the arrest of the alleged kingpin and brought the number of those arrested to 88.

According to Mamothame the 88th suspect, who is identified as the 60-year-old Thethile Master Boyce, was added to the charge sheet. He says the Hawks’ investigations revealed that Boyce is a taxi owner, who allegedly transported the suspected illegal miners to and from the mine, and also transported food. “His taxi was seized by the Hawks after his arrest. He is currently out on R2 000 bail,” says Mamothame. 

The suspects are still in police custody until the next court appearance.

OFM News